House of Commons Hansard Debates for 24 Jan 1994

NHS Trusts

Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which agencies are employed by the North Ayrshire and Arran NHS trust, the South Ayrshire NHS trust, and the Community Health Care NHS trust to deal with their public relations ; and if he will make a statement about the costs of this service to each of the trusts.

Mr. Stewart : The agencies employed are as follows :

North Ayrshire and Arran NHS trust Rex Stewart Grayling South Ayrshire NHS trust Alan Clark Associates

Ayrshire and Arran community

healthcare NHS trust Alan Clark Associates.

The cost of the service, which is an essential part of providing an efficient service to patients and the community, represents only a minute amount--between 0.02 per cent. and 0.05 per cent.--of the revenue of the trusts concerned.

Telephone Information Line

Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the Scottish Office's telephone information line ; and what are the costs involved in running the service, the total numbers of staff employed, the numbers of inquiries dealt with and the number of inquiries passed on to other agencies.

Mr. Lang : The Scottish Office information line, 0345 741 741 was launched on 30 September 1993. Calls on the information line to the Scottish Office central inquiry unit in Edinburgh from public phones anywhere in Scotland are charged at local rate. In addition members of the public may make calls to the unit from over 20 local information points throughout Scotland at no cost.

Since the launch, the information line has received over 1,900 calls. It is estimated that more than 90 per cent. of

Column 72

them have been for the Scottish Office and its associated departments or agencies to deal with. The cost of operating the information line is estimated to be £28,500 per annum. This excludes start up and initial publicity costs of £175,000. The staff of the central inquiry unit was augmented by one to handle the initiative.

Christmas Cards

Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many official Christmas cards were sent out in 1993 by (a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) staff of Government agencies working in or to his Department ; and how much these cards cost (i) to buy, (ii) to post and (iii) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes.

Mr. Lang : In 1993 Ministers in my Department sent 770 official Christmas cards, officials sent 6,208 and agencies sent 1,715. The cost of the cards was £2,875 including VAT ; it is not possible to identify the postal costs and staff time devoted to the dispatch of the cards.

Consultancies

Ms Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the (a) accountancy firms and (b) merchant banks to which his Department awarded private consultancy work in 1992 and 1993, together with a list of the consultancies concerned and the amount paid.

Mr. Lang : During the financial year 1992-93, 14 consultancy contracts costing more than £20,000 per contract were awarded by the Scottish Office to four firms of consultants, which also have an accountancy practice within the same group. The total value of these contracts was £1,031,400. The firms were Coopers and Lybrand, KPMG, Price Waterhouse and Touche Ross. No consultancy business was awarded by the Scottish Office to merchant banks during this period.

Column 73

NHS (Cars)

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cars have been allocated to NHS managers, advisers, administrators and clerical staff in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr. Stewart : This information is not held centrally.

NHS Trust Hospitals

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cars have been allocated to the managers, advisers and administrators employed by the national health service trust hospitals in each of the last two financial years.

Mr. Stewart : This information is not held centrally.

Freight on Ferry Services

Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of subsidy concerning freight on ferry services to island communities in the United Kingdom since 1992.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In 1992-93 deficit grant subsidy of £6.1 million was paid to Caledonian MacBrayne to meet the operating deficit incurred in providing ferry services to the inner and outer Hebrides and islands in the Firth of Clyde. Because the subsidy paid to Caledonian MacBrayne is paid to meet the overall deficit incurred in providing ferry services for commercial vehicles, loose freight, cars and passengers, it is not possible to disaggregate the amount of subsidy paid specifically in relation to the carriage of freight. In 1992-93 tariff rebate subsidy of £2.8 million was paid to P and O Scottish ferries in respect of carriage of freight to Orkney and Shetland in 1992-93. In addition, tariff rebate subsidy of £2.2 million was made available in 1992-93 to nine bulk shipping operators providing freight services to the northern and western isles. Subsidy paid under the tariff rebate subsidy scheme is paid in respect of different categories of traffic carried by shipping operators. Outturn information in respect of 1993-94 is not yet available.

Yorkhill Hospital, Glasgow

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which grades of employee at Yorkhill national health service trust hospital, Glasgow, are to lose entitlement to sick pay scheme benefits higher than those of the statutory scheme.

Mr. Stewart : Terms and conditions of service are a matter for the trust.

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much in the next financial year will be the reduction in sick pay paid out to employees of Yorkhill national health service trust hospital, Glasgow, following adoption of the statutory minimum entitlements.

Mr. Stewart : Such information is not held centrally.

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consult medical authorities on their assessment of risk to sick children's health if low-paid employees at

Column 74

Yorkhill national health service trust hospital, Glasgow change their attendance patterns as a result of the abolition of their sick pay scheme and the introduction of minimum statutory entitlements.

Mr. Stewart : The work pattern of staff is a matter for the trust concerned.

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what indication Yorkhill national health service trust gave in its application for trust status, on its intentions as to (a) reducing its employees' sick pay to the statutory minimum and (b) putting their jobs out to tender if they rejected these terms.

Mr. Stewart : The application referred to differences in various primary conditions of service, including sick leave, and declared an intention to review these over time.

National Health Service Trusts (Pay)

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the percentage by which national health service trust chief executives' pay rose between 1992 and 1993 ; and what is the current salary of each.

Mr. Stewart : In November 1992, chairmen of trusts were asked to ensure that average settlements for staff on trust terms and conditions did not exceed 1.5 per cent. In March 1993, trust chief executives were asked to ensure that their annual reports show total emoluments of senior staff with that of the chief executive separately identified.

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the percentage by which national health service unit general managers' pay rose between 1992 and 1993 ; and the current salaries of each.

Mr. Stewart : The annual uplift for unit general managers pay has been from 1 September of each year. The uplift as from 1 September 1992 was 3.9 per cent. Information on the salaries of each unit general manager is not held centrally.

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy that each national health service trust will publish annually the emoluments of the chairman and the chief executive.

Mr. Stewart : In March 1993, trust chief executives were asked to ensure that their annual reports show total emoluments of senior staff, including board members, in broad bandings with chairman and chief executive separately identified.

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the highest possible remuneration for (a) a national health service unit general manager and (b) a trust chief executive including any bonuses.

Mr. Stewart : Under new arrangements introduced as from 1 September 1993, the maximum possible pay of a unit general manager could be in the range £61,721 to £77,150 and that of a trust chief executive the range £66,944 to £83,681. A non-consolidated bonus of up to an additional 20 per cent. can be paid by the employing body to a unit general manager or trust chief executive at the top of the range who demonstrates outstanding performance.

Column 75

Lung Cancer

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many women died of lung cancer in 1992 in each health board area.

Mr. Stewart : The information requested is available in table C2.16 on pages 70-81 of the 1992 annual report of the registrar general for Scotland, a copy of which was sent to the hon. Member in July 1993. A copy was also placed in the Library.

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much he spent in 1992 and 1993 on publicising the rise in mortality amongst women from lung cancer ; and how much will be spent for this purpose in 1994.

Mr. Stewart [holding answer 21 January 1994] : The mortality rates from lung cancer in women are published in the annual reports of the registrar general for Scotland. No sums are specifically allocated to publicising these data.

The trends in mortality have been taken into account in the Government's health strategy for Scotland. A national target to reduce cancers by 15 per cent. by 2000 was adopted in 1991 and smoking, as the major cause of lung cancer, was identified as a priority for health education. By March this year, the Health Education Board for Scotland, which was established in 1991, will have spent nearly £3.7 million on anti-smoking campaigns, much of it aimed at women. The board plans to spend £500,000 on further measures during the next financial year.

Back to Basics"

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the implications of the Government's "back to basics" policy for his Department during 1994.

Mr. Lang [holding answer 20 January 1994] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on Friday 21 January by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Mr. Rendel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what working definition of "back to basics" is used by his Department ; and what his Department has done in the past three months to implement the policy.

Mr. Lang [holding answer 20 January 1994] : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 21 January at column 849.

Samaritan Hospital, Glasgow

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Samaritan hospital, Glasgow, is to close ; and what arrangements are in hand for the transfer of patients and the staff employed in that hospital.

Mr. Stewart [holding answer 21 January 1994] : Greater Glasgow health board has yet to conclude its review of acute services. The Royal Samaritan hospital features is part of that review. The Secretary of State looks forward to receiving the health board's recommendations in due course.

Column 76

Casualty Departments

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those casualty departments where patients have had to wait overnight for beds during the past 12 months ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Stewart [holding answer 21 January 1994] : This information is not held centrally.

TRANSPORT

Channel Tunnel

8. Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of revenue forgone as a result of the extension of the channel tunnel concession by 10 years.

Mr. MacGregor : It is not possible to say with any precision what the value to Eurotunnel or the cost to the Government of the extension of the concession will be.

Newly Qualified Drivers

9. Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce stricter standards in driving tests and for newly qualified drivers ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key : This proposal was considered in our recent consultation document on new driver safety, on which my right hon. Friend will shortly be making an announcement.

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a full list of all organisations to which his Department sent, and from which it has received responses, regarding the consultation paper on measures to reduce accidents involving newly qualified drivers, together with the addresses of each such organisation.

Mr. Key : The Department issued over 5,200 copies of the consultation paper to road safey and motoring organisations, local authorities and all MPs, also to all individuals who asked for a copy. We received 203 responses from organisations and 195 from individuals. It is not our practice to identify those organisations or individuals who respond to consultation exercises.

Public Transport, London

10. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the chairman of London Transport to discuss improvements to public transport in London.

Mr. Norris : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I meet the chairman of London Transport regularly to discuss progress in meeting the Government's objective of securing continuing improvements in London's public transport.

Car Ownership

12. Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the best estimate of the increase in United Kingdom car ownership by the turn of the century.

Column 77

Mr. Key : The Department of Transport's forecasts are for Great Britain. Growth in the number of cars between 1994 and the year 2000 is expected to be in the range of 11 per cent. to 16 per cent.

New Roads

13. Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much public money he proposes to spend on new roads during the next three years ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key : In 1994-95, I plan to spend around £1.3 billion on new construction of national roads in England. For each of the following two years, the figure is about £1.2 billion.

London Lorry Ban

14. Ms Jowell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the London night-time and weekend lorry ban.

Mr. Norris : The Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill was introduced in the House last Wednesday. This contains proposals for the Secretary of State to take powers to vary traffic orders imposing permit- based restrictions on heavy lorries in London where an undue burden is imposed on business. The London night-time and weekend ban is such a restriction and the Government will be consulting shortly on proposals to amend the ban. It is not our intention to abolish the ban, contrary to some newspaper reports. However, we do intend to dispense with the bureaucratic permit system.

Ebbsfleet International Station

15. Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the positioning of an international station at Ebbsfleet, Kent ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I have received representations from the promoter of the station at Ebbsfleet, from the "Kent Thames-side" Group, from Kent County Council and from a number of other organisations, individuals and hon. Members. We are considering those

representations, together with Union Railways' October report, and will announce our decisions shortly.

Jubilee Line Extension

16. Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that British firms gain contracts to build the Jubilee line.

Mr. Norris : The award of contracts for the Jubilee line extension is entirely a matter for London Underground Ltd. LUL has a duty to secure competitive tenders in a proper legal fashion, having regard to EC directives, and to secure best value for money.

M1, West Yorkshire

17. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to widen the M1 motorway in west Yorkshire.

Mr. Key : As part of the Department's proposals for the M1-A1 link road east of Leeds, it is planned to widen the

Column 78

M1 motorway over a one-mile length between Lofthouse interchange and Belle Isle. This local widening is needed to accommodate the major traffic flows between the M1, M62 and A1.

M11 Extension

18. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the social and environmental consequence of the M11 extension.

Mr. Norris : Representations received about construction of the A12 link road between Hackney Wick and the M11 have largely focused on the impact of the new road on the local community.

Rail Services, Barnsley

19. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about rail services from Barnsley to neighbouring areas.

Mr. Freeman : I have received various representations from time to time about rail services in the Barnsley area.

Road Pricing

20. Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the effects of motorway tolls/road pricing, on the economies of the English regions and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key : Motorway charging will provide another source of finance for expanding the inter-urban road network more quickly. This will prevent congestion that would otherwise occur and so benefit the economies of all parts of the United Kingdom.

Open Shipping Register

21. Mr. Waterson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about a British open shipping register ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Norris : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 11 January, Official Report, column 124. A proposal for a British open register was received from the Baltic exchange on 3 December 1993. The complex issues which it raises require careful study. That remains the position.

Crossrail

22. Mr. Lidington : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of the crossrail project.

Mr. MacGregor : Having considered the report of the consultants appointed to review crossrail, the Government continue to support the project. It remains the Government's view that crossrail should be taken forward as a joint venture, with a substantial private sector financial contribution. Accordingly, the promoters will be seeking to progress the crossrail Bill when the Committee stage resumes on 25 January.

Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions he has drawn on the respective

Column 79

roles of public and private finance in crossrail following the report of the consultants commissioned by his Department to evaluate the project ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Norris [holding answer 21 January 1994] : It remains the intention of Ministers that crossrail should be taken forward as a joint venture with the private sector.

Travelcards

23. Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now introduce legislation to guarantee the retention of the travelcard following privatisation of London Buses and British Rail.

Mr. Norris : No new legislation is needed to ensure the continued availability of travelcard on the London public transport network. The Railways Act 1993 gives the franchising director power to require franchisees to participate in multi-modal ticketing schemes. After privatisation of London Buses Ltd., London Transport will remain responsible for the overall structure of fares and ticketing on London's buses and can thus ensure that travelcard will continue to be available on its bus services.

Paying for Better Motorways"

24. Mr. Duncan Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish comparative figures for the level of motorway charges in other European countries compared with the levels mentioned in his Green Paper "Paying for Better Motorways".

Mr. Key : Average tolls for cars on motorways in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal are between about 5p and 10p per mile. In Greece, they are up to 4p per mile. The levels of electronic tolls for cars discussed in the Green Paper were between 0.5p and 1.5p per mile.

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a full list of all organisations to which his Department sent, and from which it has received responses, regarding the Green Paper "Paying for Better Motorways", together with the addresses of each such organisation.

Mr. Key [holding answer 18 January 1994] : My Department issued copies of the Green Paper to all the motoring organisations, organisations representing industry and local government, and to others who contacted the Department following reports in the media. We received a total of 204 responses from organisations. It is not our practice to identify those who respond to consultation exercises.

Chronic Oil Pollution

25. Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve United Kingdom port reception facilities to combat chronic oil pollution.

Mr. Norris : Recent research commissioned by the Department indicates that the provision of reception facilities for oily wastes in United Kingdom ports is adequate. The provision of such facilities is kept under review.

Column 80

Railways (Noise)

26. Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his final decision about the compensation and protection arrangements relating to noise on (a) existing railway lines in Kent and (b) proposed new railway lines in Kent.

Mr. Freeman : On (a) , I agreed during the Adjournment debate initiated on 13 January by my right hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir J. Stanley), Official Report, column 432, to reflect on the legal opinion which he had received, through the local authorities concerned, on the subject of compensation for those with properties alongside existing rail routes to the channel tunnel. I shall clarify the position to the House as soon as possible. On (b) , Union Railways has incorporated extensive noise mitigation measures in the design of the channel tunnel link and it will be for Parliament to decide, when considering a hybrid Bill to approve the project, on the adequacy of the measures. Meanwhile, the Department of Transport is currently consulting on draft regulations which will bring the arrangements for noise insulation for new railways in line with those for new highways, by making properties alongside eligible for insulation where noise exceeds certain levels. All comments received, including comments on the coverage of the regulations, will be considered carefully before regulations are laid before Parliament.

Next Section

Home Page